# Home and Belonging in The Road to Oz

> Theme guide for The Road to Oz by L. Frank Baum.

Dorothy's desire to return to Kansas contrasts with the welcoming, idyllic nature of Oz, exploring the tension between the comfort of home and the allure of a place where one is valued and can belong, ultimately suggesting that home is where one is loved.

## Where it surfaces

- [XIII: The Truth Pond](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_road_to_oz_se/chapters/xiii-the-truth-pond): The restoration of their true forms brings the characters closer to their goal of reaching Ozma's celebration, symbolizing a return to belonging.
- [The Emperor’s Tin Castle](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_road_to_oz_se/chapters/xv-the-emperor-s-tin-castle): The Shaggy Man expresses a desire to belong in Oz, and the Tin Woodman's castle represents a welcoming home.
- [Visiting the Pumpkin-Field](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_road_to_oz_se/chapters/xvi-visiting-the-pumpkin-field): Jack creates a home in a hollow pumpkin and finds belonging in his pumpkin field, emphasizing the importance of a place to call one's own.
- [The Royal Chariot Arrives](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_road_to_oz_se/chapters/xvii-the-royal-chariot-arrives): The travelers' approach to the Emerald City and the warm reception from old friends reinforce the theme of finding a place of belonging.
- [The Emerald City](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_road_to_oz_se/chapters/xviii-the-emerald-city): Dorothy feels at home in the Emerald City as a princess, contrasting with her Kansas life, while the shaggy man hopes Ozma will let him live there.
- [The Shaggy Man's Welcome](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_road_to_oz_se/chapters/xix-the-shaggy-man-s-welcome): The Shaggy Man, who has never been welcomed anywhere, finds a sense of home and comfort in Ozma's palace.
- [Princess Ozma of Oz](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_road_to_oz_se/chapters/xx-princess-ozma-of-oz): Dorothy and her friends find a warm welcome in the Emerald City, and the Shaggy Man expresses a desire to become a loyal subject of Oz.
- [The Birthday Celebration](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_road_to_oz_se/chapters/xxiv-the-birthday-celebration): Dorothy ultimately returns to Kansas, reflecting her connection to her home, while Polychrome returns to her father, and the Shaggy Man seeks a permanent place in Oz.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_road_to_oz_se/themes/home_and_belonging
- Themes index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_road_to_oz_se/themes